WEST HARTFORD — Over the course of the summer, the UConn women's basketball staff will do what it always does to help its freshmen assimilate to campus and court life.

It will teach the players to work and sometimes even take them on day trips to places like the snack shop at Hartford Golf Club.

It was there Monday that Gabby Williams, Courtney Ekmark and Sadie Edwards hung out for a couple of hours with upperclassmen Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Morgan Tuck, Moriah Jefferson and Saniya Chong to do their part for Geno Auriemma's annual "Fore the Kids" golf tournament.

"Even if I lived farther from here, it wouldn't be as hard [to be away from home] because of the way the upperclassmen are always there for us," said Edwards, the former Mercy guard from Meriden. "We do a lot together to help the bonding process. We have fun, enjoy each other's company; even during the week when we are working so hard we find the time to do that. [The older players have] made it easier for all of us to get ready for what's coming."

The fourth member of the class, Kia Nurse, is in Canada training with her national team for the FIBA World Championship in Turkey, the title that Auriemma's USA team will try to defend in September.

As the kids were taking shots at a makeshift hoop set up near the snack bar, some while eating ice cream, Auriemma stood nearby and watched.

"You know, I really haven't done all that much with them, which might be a good thing," he said. "I haven't paid that much attention to them at all. I'm not one to spend a lot of time in the summer concentrating on every little thing they do. Right now, they are here to get used to going to school. They are working with Amanda Kimball [strength and conditioning coach]. They get out on the floor occasionally with the assistant coaches to work on things. We're just trying to get them involved."

Auriemma has said he understands how important the four will be to the effort to win a third straight national title. Without Stefanie Dolson and Bria Hartley, with Morgan Tuck and Williams recovering from knee surgery, whatever new strategies Auriemma plans to implement must be executed by many new to his system.

"When every one of us walks into the gym with the same goal, it makes it a lot easier for all of us because we are all working as hard as we can," Edwards said.

Mosqueda-Lewis, who will be a senior, said she senses excitement in the young players.

"It's interesting. They really don't know about anything other than to do all they can to keep everyone happy," Mosqueda-Lewis said. "They are working as hard as they can and whatever you say [as upperclassmen] they immediately say, 'OK, we will try to do that.'

"It's nice to be able to have the chance to teach them the UConn values, mold them into great UConn players. It's clear they are interested in doing whatever they can to meet those expectations."

Williams was the last freshman guard to arrive because her senior year ended the latest. And she is the only freshman who has not been able to make an on-court impact. She is recovering from a second right knee surgery. She lost most of her junior and senior seasons at Sparks [Nev.] High to injury, and yet Auriemma said last week he believes she is one of the most gifted athletes he has ever recruited.

"I am able now to do 90 percent of the workouts that everyone else is doing," said Williams, who is rooming with Tuck, who had knee surgery in January. "I just can't participate in any contract drills because I haven't been cleared. And I still can sprint too hard or too often. But everything else, I am OK with.

"Honestly, I feel ahead of where I expected to be [physically]. Last year, the knee didn't feel nearly as good [after her first surgery] as it does now and I was playing on it [until her injury]. To tell you the truth, when I think about it now, I can't believe I was able to play on the knee."

Ekmark, who orally committed to the Huskies as a sophomore guard, spent what would have been her senior year home-schooling, working with trainers and playing against the boys to hone her All-America talent.

Ekmark and Edwards are in two classes together, psychology and public speaking.

"It's pretty crazy to think back to how long ago it was when I committed to UConn and now to realize that I am finally here," Ekmark said. "But it's also great. I am really loving it. I feel very accustomed to the program and close to my teammates."